Every year the nutraceutical magazine Nutra Ingredients recognizes the most innovative ingredients, finished products, and research in the nutrition and dietary supplements industry. They field hundreds of submissions from companies looking to bring attention to new products and projects. Finalists are selected within 17 categories. We are thrilled that the development and validation of Nutriterra Total Omega-3 is honored as a finalist for the specialty award, Nutrition Research Project of the Year.
The submission we made for this award highlights both the development of Nutriterra and the clinical trials we conducted to verify efficacy in humans. Nutriterra was shown to be bioavailable and utilized similarly to fish oil, raising indices of omega-3 status in study participants. We also emphasized why Nuseed’s innovation is essential to increasing access to high quality omega-3 nutrition.
Nutriterra is Game Changer
Nutriterra is a scientific breakthrough in addressing two major challenges in omega-3 nutrition: supply constraints and insufficient consumption. More than 90% of the long-chain omega-3 options currently on the market are derived from fish oil. This is a limited resource and supply is not regenerating as quickly as the demand for these ingredients is growing. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the percentage of biologically sustainable fish stocks have decreased from 90% in 1974 to 65% in 2017.
Additionally, fewer than 80% of the population is consuming the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids, due to a limited amount of seafood in the diet and sensory experiences with fish oil supplements. Fish oils can have a strong taste or aroma that consumers don’t enjoy. They can also cause burp back, bringing a fishy experience back throughout the day. There is a growing interest in plant-based nutrition, for taste preferences as well as environmental and health concerns.
Nuseed solved both challenges by developing a new plant-based Total Omega-3 that is effective, renewable, and mild tasting by introducing microalgae genetics into canola.
Scalable and Uncompromising
Designed for rapid scaling, Nuseed uses existing infrastructure to grow and process the canola seed into a finished oil suitable for food and supplementation. This crop can double the world’s supply of long-chain fatty acids on less than 5% of current canola production land, which reduces pressure on the ocean to supply these essential nutrients.
Our independent research reveals that more than 2/3rds of consumers are deeply concerned about ocean health, and Nutriterra provides an option to meet dietary recommendations without impacting ocean habitats. Consumers also indicate an openness to plant-based alternatives if the taste is as good or better than the original source. More than 90% of the participants in our clinical trial indicated that Nutriterra was well tolerated and easy to consume. Nutriterra provides consumers access to nutrition without compromise, whether looking for an omega-3 that meets their dietary, taste, or ethical preferences.
Watch the Awards
This project exemplifies the type of breakthroughs necessary to support human health and consumer demand for environmentally responsible, plant-based nutrition. NutraIngredients will virtually present the awards ceremony from Chicago on July 13 at 11:00 am. You can register to watch it live here.